PHOENIX MODEL MARKET NOW INCLUDES SECOND NEXT-GENERATION TV TRANSMITTER WITH LAUNCH OF ATSC 3.0 SIGNALS ON KASW-TV

Jul 8, 2020 | Newsroom

PHOENIX, AZ – July 8, 2020 – Another chapter in the rollout of next-generation TV service is being written in the collaborative Phoenix Model Market, with the launch of ATSC 3.0 signals from KASW-TV (CW).  The station becomes the second TV transmission source in the nation’s 11th largest TV market.  Phoenix now has two ATSC 3.0 transmission towers whose licenses are approved by the FCC, programming legal agreements are in place, and the facilities are on-air.  KASW-TV is owned by The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP). The station will host KSAZ-TV (Fox) as part of the initial launch.

“The addition of a second transmission facility provides a robust test platform with the power of two transmitters for signal testing by consumer receiver and transmission equipment manufacturers. The Phoenix Model Market continues to lead the industry in the development of the essential next-gen TV service as well as the testing of new automotive services,” said Anne Schelle, managing director of Pearl TV, which is coordinating the Phoenix Model Market.

“Scripps is pleased to partner with the stations in the Phoenix market to continue to advance next-generation TV service offerings for our viewers and advertisers,” said Brian Lawlor, president of Local Media for Scripps. “Our focus is on delivering local content that informs and entertains our audiences, and these technological advancements will move the entire industry forward.”

“This second station in Phoenix shows the keen interest in the broadcast community to explore the exciting growth and capabilities of NextGen TV. The Phoenix Model Market participates will make use of this second station to expand our business development efforts,” said Richard Friedel, Executive VP of Engineering for FOX Television Stations.

Viewers in Phoenix watching on conventional digital TV sets will easily find their familiar channels after the launch of the KASW next-gen TV broadcasts. After rescanning, all of the current programming carried on KASW-TV remains on the familiar channel locations thanks to sharing arrangements with other broadcasters in the Phoenix market.

More than 60 U.S. markets have been targeted as the first areas where next-gen TV service will launch, with the ATSC now tracking market deployments of the new broadcasts.  Once service is launched in those markets, next-gen TV powered by ATSC 3.0 will reach more than three-quarters of the nation’s population.

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About Pearl TV:

Pearl TV is a business organization of U.S. broadcast companies with a shared interest in exploring forward-looking broadcasting opportunities, including innovative ways of promoting local broadcast TV content and developing digital media and wireless platforms for the broadcast industry.  Pearl’s membership, comprising more than 750 TV stations, includes nine of the largest broadcast companies in America: Cox Media Group, Graham Media Group, Gray Television, Hearst Television Inc., Meredith Local Media Group, Nexstar Media Group, Sinclair Broadcast Group, the E.W. Scripps Company, and TEGNA, Inc.

About the Phoenix Model Market:
The Phoenix Model Market is a collaborative effort with a dozen Phoenix, Arizona TV broadcasters who are launching next-gen TV service marketwide, as a model for the TV industry.  Participating TV groups and stations in the Phoenix Model Market include: Arizona State University’s Arizona PBS (KAET), E.W. Scripps’ KNXV (ABC), Fox Television Stations’ KSAZ-TV (Fox) and KUTP (MyTV), Meredith’s KPHO (CBS) and KTVK (Independent), E.W. Scripps’ KASW-TV (CW); Telemundo Station Group’s KTAZ (Telemundo), TEGNA’s KPNX (NBC), and Univision’s KFPH-CD (UniMas) and KTVW (Univision).

Media Contact:
Dave Arland
(317) 701-0084
Dave@Arlandcom.com

About Scripps:

The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP) advances understanding of the world through journalism. As the nation’s fourth-largest independent TV station owner, Scripps operates 60 television stations in 42 markets. Scripps empowers the next generation of news consumers with its multiplatform news network Newsy and reaches growing audiences through broadcast networks including Bounce and Court TV. Shaping the future of storytelling through digital audio, Scripps owns top podcast company Stitcher and Triton, the global leader in technology and measurement services. Scripps runs an award-winning investigative reporting newsroom in Washington, D.C., and is the longtime steward of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Founded in 1878, Scripps has held for decades to the motto, “Give light and the people will find their own way.”

Media Contact:
Kari Wethington
(513) 977-3763
kari.wethington@scripps.com

ABOUT KSAZ FOX 10 Phoenix:

KSAZ is part of the FOX Television Stations, which owns and operates 29 full power broadcast television stations in the U.S. These include stations located in nine of the top ten largest designated market areas (DMAs), and duopolies in 11 DMAs, including the three largest DMAs (New York, Los Angeles and Chicago). Of these stations, 18 are affiliated with the FOX Network. In addition to distributing sports, entertainment and syndicated content, our television stations collectively produce nearly 1,000 hours of local news every week. These stations leverage viewer, distributor and advertiser demand for the FOX Network’s national content.

Media Contact:
Victoria Gurrieri
(212) 301-3419
victoria.gurrieri@FOXTV.COM